


Earl Grey

by DisastrouslyYours



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Brief mention of Ansem the Wise, Fluff, M/M, Radiant Garden, both of these men have horrible sleep schedules, headcanon that Even is particular about his tea, probably around the BBS era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:08:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28906134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisastrouslyYours/pseuds/DisastrouslyYours
Summary: Even often finds himself making a late-night cup of tea to help take his mind off of his research. One night, he is joined by an unexpected guest.
Relationships: Braig/Even (Kingdom Hearts), Vexen/Xigbar (Kingdom Hearts), Xigbar/Vexen (kingdom hearts)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Earl Grey

The days are long and the nights even longer when your research is going nowhere fast. Even hadn’t made nearly as much progress as he had hoped, and didn’t feel anywhere close to a breakthrough. Dedicated to his work, he started sacrificing more and more of his sleep to try to make any amount of progress. Forming a habit of making a cup of tea at 3am was accidental, but Even welcomed the routine as it allowed him a brief moment of repose. 

Ansem, catching wind of his colleague’s newfound habit, had taken it upon himself to stock up on a variety of different teas. While Even appreciated the gesture, he had developed a fondness for a very specific tea for his late night respite. An earl grey, steeped for exactly three minutes, with a splash of milk swirled in. On rare nights, Even would consider straying from the norm and trying one of the more “exotic” flavors Ansem had purchased, like lavender jasmine or honeydew hibiscus, but ultimately would always fall back on his tried and true favorite. 

It had been a particularly rough day, and Even felt as though his grasp on his research was slipping. He decided to take his nightly tea a little earlier, hoping the short break would allow him to clear his mind of his silent insecurities. 

_ You haven’t made any advancements in the past two weeks. You’re better than this, what’s holding you back? The more you discover, the less you understand. There must be something you’re missing. Come on, Even, look at the facts and make some hypotheses.  _

The weak warbling of the tea kettle broke his thoughts, and when Even looked up from his seated position he was surprised to meet the gaze of another. 

“Looks like you’re thinking too hard for someone who’s awake at this hour.” Braig stood leaning against the counter, arms crossed across his chest. 

“Yes, well…” Even started, standing up and eyeing his fellow apprentice. “Research requires a great deal of reflection.” Taking the kettle and pouring his cup of tea, he attempted to deflect the conversation away from himself. “You’re also awake ‘at this hour’, Braig.” 

Braig shifted his weight to turn slightly toward the other man, smiling slightly. “And what does that have to do with anything? For all you know, I could’ve just woken up and wandered down here for a little midnight snack.” There was a hint of snark in his words, as usual, but his tone softened as he continued. “You, on the other hand, look like you haven’t slept in days.” 

Even placed the kettle back on the stove, and stared into his tea cup as he gently stirred the steeping tea. “I’ve been sleeping fine, thank you.” He paused, looking up at his conversation partner. “At any rate, of what importance is it to you?” 

“You just haven’t been yourself lately, Ev.” 

The two stared at each other for a moment, Braig waiting for a response and Even searching for any logical reason that Braig was not only standing across from him, but seemingly concerned for his wellbeing. 

“Good research leads to good science, and good research takes time.” 

“That’s not an excuse for not taking care of yourself.”    
  
“As I said before, I sleep just fine-” 

“As if. Look, sleeping a couple of hours a night isn’t sleeping ‘just fine’.” 

Taken aback by Braig’s sudden forwardness, Even paused a moment before replying. “And how would you know about my sleeping habits?”  _ And why would he care?  _

When Braig didn’t reply, Even continued. “One could only surmise that, in order for you to know about my shortened sleep cycle that you, too, would have a less than perfect circadian rhythm.” After adding in a small amount of milk to his tea, he smirked before bringing the cup to his lips. 

“Doesn’t matter, because I’m not the one with dark circles the size of your tea cup under my eyes.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” 

Braig blinked twice before chuckling softly. “I guess you got me.” He moved to take a seat at the small dining table. “What can I say? Sleeping is hard when you got a lot on your mind.” 

Even furrowed his brow, pondering his last statement for a moment before letting out a small sigh. “Well, at any rate, it seems like I boiled more water than necessary for just one cup.” He paused briefly before softly adding, “Would you like one as well?” 

“I think I would, Ev.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I recently played literally every KH game, so obviously that means I had to fall in love with one of the rarest pairings. As always, feedback is welcomed and appreciated. ✨


End file.
